2016 NASOMA Playoffs - World Series

The Sidewinders are playing in their third consecutive World Series. They lost in 2014 to the Fungoes, and then dropped the 2015 Series in criminal fashion to the Warpigs. In fact, this is the third time the Snakes and Warpigs have met in the World Series, with the Pigs winning the first two. But with the familiar Pigs in the opposing dugout, 2016 was a chance at revenge, redemption, and a chance to prove that "third time's a charm" idiom.

Game 1 @ The BallPork - The Warpig "7 pitchers a game" strategy and the omnipresent Pig Luck were both on display in game 1. Garrett Richards and 6 relievers combined to hold the Snakes to 5 hits and 1 run. In the 8th inning, some of the luck came into play. Nick Hundley led off with a single, and pinch runner Slidin' Billy Hamilton stole 2nd, advancing to 3rd on the overthrow. With the tying run at 3rd, nobody out, and the heart of the Snake order coming up, the Warpigs called on luck to get them thru. Antonio Bastardo retired David Ortiz on a pop up before walking Mark Teixeira. Pedro Strop then came in to strike out Franklin Gutierrez and retire Starling Marte to strand the runner. But the Pig Luck REALLY appeared earlier in the game. Ian Kinsler hit a 2-run ballpark homer (1-2) for the only Pig runs of the game. Even the stoic Snakeman cursed. Warpigs win 2-1.

Game 2 @ The BallPork - I should really let the Snakeman tell you what happened from here on in. One, I don't remember a lot of it - I was pretty tired. And two, I don't want to remember it. It wasn't fun. I kept picturing that Pepsi commercial: "This must be what the Fungo man felt like when he was getting his ass kicked." Heroes from earlier in the day, Tyler Clippard and Pedro Strop, pitched batting practice, and the Snakes took advantage. According to my game sheet, the Snakes hit 4 homers in this game, but I'm not sure who hit them. Ortiz, Gutierrez, Teixeira, Hundley... it was all the fucking same anyway. I know Francisco Cervelli and Jarrett Parker both homered for the good guys. The game went back and forth until Adam Wainwright surrendered a homer in the 8th. Sidewinders win 8-6.

Game 3 @ The Snake Pit - Thanks to a bunch of Pig doubles off of Johnny Cueto and good pitching from Jaime Garcia, the Pigs had another lead in this game. But again, the Snake long ball brought them back. Two solo homers in the 8th inning sealed the win because one doesn't come back against the Sidewinder bullpen. Sidewinders win 4-3.

Game 4 @ The Snake Pit - No blown saves this game, as the score was 2-2 from the 2nd inning until the 7th when Nick Hundley hit a 2-run triple. Chris Young was the unlikely pitching star for the Sidewinders, bailing Hector Santiago out of a bases loaded situation in the 2nd inning and then pitching 4 innings of shutout ball. Sidewinders win 4-2, and the champagne bourbon is being put on ice.

Game 5 @ The Snake Pit - Chris Sale and the million dollar bullpen throw a shutout, Mark Teixeira (who resembles a dildo) swats 3 homers, yada yada yada... Sidewinders win 6-0. All hail the Sidewinders. Whatever.

Amazing how much this series resembled last year's. First, it was only the second time in NASOMA history that the same 2 teams squared off in back-to-back years. But last year, the Sidewinders dominated the Warpigs in the regular season only to fall to them in the Series in part because they had to play a first round series and were running short on bullpen innings. This year, the Pigs went 9-1 in the regular season against the Snakes (on the same table with the same dice!), but couldn't stay with them in the series. Rich Hill, who dominated the Sidewinders in the regular season, was already on the floor by the start of the World Series. Not that it would have mattered. What we needed was for those Sean Doolittle and Aaron Loup cards to find their way back onto the team. Wasn't going to happen because we use different rules for the playoffs than we do the regular season. Or something like that.

2016 NASOMA Playoffs - Round Two

The #2 seed Fungoes faced the Warpigs in the 2nd round for the right to advance to the World Series. The 2014 Champion Fungoes and the 2015 Champion Warpigs had an interesting year, starting back in February with a joint trip to Railroad Head, NY, and Strat-O-Matic's Opening Day. During the season, the Pigs won the first 3 match-ups before the Fungoes destroyed the Warpigs by winning the final 7. The head-to-head playoff match-up was a great way to finish up the year.

Game 1 @ WTF Field - Because the Wahoo series went 7 games, the Warpigs were "forced" to start Adam Wainwright in game 1 instead of using him out of the pen. Waino, in a blast from the past, responded with 6 no-hit innings. But this is the playoffs, and the Pigs went to the Pigpen despite the no-hitter, and although the Fungoes did finally get 2 hits, they did not score. On the other hand, Clayton Kershaw was tossing up goose eggs himself. After 9, the game was still scoreless. In the top of the 10th, with Kershaw still on the mound, Francisco Cervelli blooped a 2-out single. The Warpigs then turned to Jarrett Parker to pinch hit, but he was intentionally walked, putting a runner in scoring position. Kershaw finally made way for Carter Capps, but the reliever was greeted by an A.J. Pollock single to load the bases. Lorenzo Cain was up next, and he launched a grand slam into the seats in left field to quiet the crowd and send Capps to the showers. Tyler Clippard pitched the final 2.1 innings for the Pigs and earned the win. Each team struck out 13 times. Warpigs win 4-0 in 10 innings.

Game 2 @ WTF Field - David Price continued the shutdown pitching for the Fungi with 6.2 innings of scoreless ball. Eric Hosmer went 4-4, all singles. Ender Inciarte's solo homer in the 8th was the only Pig run. Fungoes win 5-1 to even the series.

Game 3 @ The BallPork - The Fungo offense sputtered against Josh Tomlin and the Pigpen, getting only 5 hits. The Pig offense got a homer from Martin Prado and a 3-run double from Ender Inciarte and cruised to victory. Warpigs win 6-2.

Game 4 @ The BallPork - Another great Kershaw game goes to waste because the Fungoes can't score. Both teams scored a run in the 1st. The Pigs plated their run when Francisco Cervelli tripled and Darin Ruf singled him home. The Fungoes scored an unearned run. Both teams had chances to add to the run column - the Fungi left the bases loaded in the 3rd and 4th innings - but the game stayed locked 1-1 until the 13th inning. Jarrett Parker led off the bottom of the 13th for the Pigs, and for the third time in three appearances, he was walked intentionally - this time to lead off the inning. Andrelton Simmons bunted him over, and A.J. Pollock ended the game with an RBI single. Clayton Kershaw threw 10 innings, striking out 13 and allowing only the 1st inning run. The Pigs used a team record 9 pitchers in the game, and the standouts were Tyler Clippard and Pedro Strop. Clippard went 3 innings of 2-hit, shutout relief; and Strop bested that by going 4 innings of 1-hit shutout ball, striking out 7. Antonio Bastardo pitched the top of the 13th and got the win. Warpigs win 2-1 in 13 innings to take a surprising 3-1 lead in the series.

Game 5 @ The BallPork - With their season on the line, the Fungoes turned to David Price, who had pitched so well in game 2. This time, however, he ended up with Pig shit all over him. Price gave up 4 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks in only 2.1 innings. The Fungo bullpen kept the game close, though, and when Rougned Odor homered off of Brandon Maurer in the 9th, it was suddenly a 1-run game. The Fungoes even got 2 more base runners after the homer, but couldn't score them. Rich Hill got the final out - his last out of the postseason - without retiring a batter when Jarrod Dyson pulled a Babe Ruth and tried to steal 3rd with 2 outs. Yadier Molina gunned him down, and the game - as well as the series - was over. Warpigs win 5-4 and move on to the World Series for the 16th time in their history.

Clayton Kershaw's stats: 2 starts, 19.2 innings (he went beyond the 9th in both games), 3 runs (1.37 ERA), 11 hits allowed, and 25 strikeouts. Oh, and he was 0-1 with a no decision.

2016 NASOMA Playoffs - Round Two

Sidewinders 4, Mavs 2. Game stories coming.

2016 NASOMA Playoffs - Round One

The day-long festivities at WTF got kicked off with a first round series between the Warpigs and the Wahoos. The Warpigs were the #3 seed, but the Wahoos had dominated the season series, going 11-3.

Game 1 @ The BallPork - Jake Arrieta had a no-hitter with 2 outs in the 7th inning before surrending the first of 2 hits. The Wahoos only managed 4 hits themselves, but two of them were back-to-back solo homers in the first inning by Mike Mahtook and Curtis Granderson. That was enough support for Arrieta who threw a complete game shutout. Wahoos win 2-0.

Game 2 @ The BallPork - The Wahoos plated 2 runs in the 4th on back-to-back RBI hits by Curt Casali and Brandon Crawford. It could have been more, but Darren O'Day came on with runners at 2nd and 3rd with 1 out, and stranded the runners. In fact, after the Wahoos didn't get another base hit after the 4th inning. The Warpigs tied the game in the 5th. Jake Lamb tripled and was singled home by Lorenzo Cain. A sac bunt, a walk, and an RBI single by Francisco Cervelli scored Cain. Neither team came close to scoring again until the bottom of the 9th. Ender Inciarte singled off of Dellin Betances to lead off the inning. After Jeurys Familia relieved Betances, another sac bunt put Inciarte in scoring position. Martin Prado scratched out an infield single to put runners at the corners with 1 out before Cain was able to come thru again with an RBI hit, this one a walk-off single. Warpigs win 3-2.

Game 3 @ The Reservation - In a great showing of bi-partisan support, it was Adeiny Hechavarria Day at The Reservation - a rare honor for a visiting 98-pound, good-field, no-hit shortstop. Hechavarria, hitting out of the 9 hole, made the most of it. Adeiny went 4-4, with a homer, two doubles, 2 runs, 2 RBI, and a stolen base. Jarrett Parker also had a big day, going 3-4 with a double and a homer. Jason Kipnis added a 2-run homer for the visitors. Seven Pig pitchers held the Hoos to 6 hits (including another Mahtook homer). Things got tight in the bottom of the 9th. With the Wahoos trailing by 3, Rich Hill made his first appearance of the series. After an out, Hechavarria, trying to fill every stat column, booted a grounder for the first error in the series. Hill struck out Derek Norris, but Kendrys Morales got a 2-out single to bring up Curt Casali. A homer would tie it, and Casali is all about the homer. In a surprise move, Casali is intentionally walked. A Brandon Crawford homer would end the game now, but Hill got him out to end the game and earn the save. Warpigs win 5-2 and go up 2 games to 1.

Game 4 @ The Reservation - This was the kind of game you'd expect from the Wahoos at their park. The Hoos scored 9 runs on 12 hits with 2 homers. Kyle Seager hit a solo shot in the 1st, and Brandon Crawford put the game out of reach with a 3-run shot in the 7th. Trevor Wood pitched well, tossing 5.2 shutout innings, scattering 5 hits. Lorenzo Cain homered late for the Pigs. Kendrys Morales scored 3 times, and Curt Casali joined Crawford with 3 RBI. Wahoos win 9-2 to even the series.

Game 5 @ The Reservation - It turns out beating up on Jake Arrieta, striking out 16 Hoo batters, and having your stud reliever on the mound with a 3-run lead in the 9th isn't enough to beat the Wahoos. The Pigs, on the strength of 2-run homers by Martin Prado and Jarrett Parker, led the Hoos 4-1 into the bottom of the 9th. After 2 batters reached off of Darren O'Day, Rich Hill was summoned to put out the fire. But after an out, Dustin Pedroia rolled 6-5, the HR 1-7/fly which is pretty much the only thing on Hill's card. And Pedroia nailed it, tying the game. Then in the 11th, Tommy Pham rolled that same damn 6-5, with the same damn result: a walk-off homer to give the Wahoos a 3 games to 2 lead headed back to the BallPork. Wahoos win 5-4 in 11 innings.

Game 6 @ The BallPork - For the first time in the series, a Warpig starting pitcher makes it into the 4th inning. Josh Tomlin, in fact, goes 6.1 innings of shutout ball before giving way to the bullpen. Adeiny Hechavarria performs his bat magic again, blasting a 2-run homer in the 3rd inning, and that was all the Pigs needed. Rich Hill goes 2 quick and quiet innings for the save. Warpigs win 3-0, and the series is headed for a game 7.

Game 7 @ The BallPork - It was an epic pitchers' duel in game 7, with Marco Estrada putting up a row of zeroes to match the ones being put up by the stream of Warpig relievers. Each team managed only 3 hits. The Wahoos threatened in the 5th. Dustin Pedroia doubled with 1 out and Tommy Pham walked. Darren O'Day came on to get pinch hitter Justin Turner to bounce into 2 and end the threat. In the bottom of the 6th, A.J. Pollock was hit by an Estrada pitch. Even without a good lead, Pollock swiped 2nd. Ender Inciarte then lofted a fly ball to right. It looked like Nori Aoki was going to get to it, but he pulled up at the last second, allowing the ball to drop for an RBI single. The Wahoos couldn't answer, as they didn't get a hit after the 5th inning and struck out 13 times. Rich Hill struck out 5 of the 6 hitters he faced for the save. Warpigs win 1-0.

The Wahoos scored 16 runs on 28 hits in the 3 games at The Reservation, but totaled a meager 4 runs on 16 hits in the 4 games at The BallPork.

As the Warpigs move on to face the Fungoes, Rich Hill has only 2.1 innings left, and Jarrett Parker has 3 AB remaining.

2016 NASOMA Playoffs - Round One

The Snakeman is coming to Dallas! The Sidewinders advance to the 2nd round in 7 games.

Game 1 - Snakes lose 6-2

Game 2 - Snakes win 4-0

Game 3 - Snakes win 3-2

Game 4 - Snakes lose 2-1

Game 5 - Snakes lose 18-0

Game 6 - Snakes win 8-1

Game 7 - Snakes win 8-6.

The Sidewinders' 2nd round opponent will be either the Mavs or Fungoes, depending on the outcome of the other 1st round series.

The rest of the playoffs will be held November 19th.